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Not too long after that, the Coroner released Brian’s body and we had an intimate family and close friends funeral for him.
My parents went through another period of grieving, and I publicly provided them with the sort of loyal support that only an eldest son can give.
During the funeral dinner afterwards, my Dad got a bit drunk and took me to one side.
“Look, lad, there’s something I’ve got to tell you.” Because of the brain damage he’d suffered during his heart attack, he spoke with a slur, but at least his mental faculties didn’t seem to have been compromised. And he was on the mend. “Your Mum and me,” he continued, “we’ve been to see a solicitor. We had to. We had to sort out our Brian’s affairs. Anyway, Brian didn’t make a will, and we’re going to inherit everything he had. But
